Arsenal plan £70m summer transfer window spending spree

Arsenal fans may be disillusioned with their team’s stagnation in recent years, but the board seemingly retains as much faith as ever in manager Arsene Wenger.

The Daily Telegraph report that Wenger will be handed £70 million to spend in the summer, and has two names particularly in mind to strengthen the squad.

Toulouse holding midfielder Etienne Capoue is the first, with Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic the other, and each would be somewhat of a departure from recent Gunners purchases.

Though Arsenal have £70m to spend, they are unable to buy top calibre players without tearing up their wage structure totally.

Chelsea or Manchester City might be able to buy the likes of Radamel Falcao and pay him £150,000 per week without even flinching, but not Arsenal.

Theo Walcott is reportedly the highest paid player at Emirates Stadium after signing his new contract for £100,000 per week, and though the Gunners have the fourth highest wage bill in the country, their problem is that they have rewarded too many average players with long term and lucrative deals.

Jovetic and Capoue are established names in the next category down though, and they would make great additions.

Arsenal’s defence has had little protection in the last few years, and an orthodox defensive midfielder would be a great step. Etienne Capoue is able to play both centre half and in the anchor role in midfield, and his tackling and physical presence in the middle of the park could help hugely.

Jovetic would likely be a more pricy acquisition, as attacking players tend to be, and his two goal display in Fiorentina’s 4-1 thrashing of Inter Milan last night will not have gone unnoticed in north London.

What might aid Arsenal’s pursuit of the Montegrin is the decreased amount of European spots available in Serie A.

With just three teams qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, and two for the Europa League in the division, I Viola are not favourites to participate in continental competition next season, with the likes of Juventus, Napoli, Lazio, AC Milan and Internazionale all ahead of them – and AS Roma enjoying somewhat of a resurgence under new boss Aurelio Andreazzoli.

Arsenal’s continued participation in the latter stages of the Champions League has proved enticing for players in the past.

Arsene Wenger will hope it does so again – with the rest of the season and this summer more crucial than ever.